Recovery

Dual diagnosis is a term used for individuals living with a mental health disorder and substance use disorder (SUD) at the same time. An assessment for dual diagnosis is usually the first step in an integrated treatment Program. Mental disorders and substance use disorders were treated independently in the past. The habit was treated first...

There are over 200 classified mental health disorders globally, ranging from an anxiety disorder, the most common to schizophrenia, the most severe and Apotemnophilia, one of the rarest (an uncontrollable urge to amputate healthy body parts). Mental disorders are treatable health conditions that respond to an integrated treatment approach that includes medication, psychotherapy, holistic therapies, exercise,...

The death rate from drug overdoses is climbing across the globe at an alarming rate. A significant proportion of these deaths are linked to synthetic opioids abuse. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States reported deaths linked to synthetic opioid overdoses (excluding methadone) had quadrupled since 1999. Not all...

Let’s be honest. Many of us still have a prejudiced idea of what an “addict looks like” or what type of background they come from. So it may come as a complete shock when your son or daughter is diagnosed with an active addiction. Your child came from a good home, had a happy childhood...

It’s common for people in addiction recovery to relapse at least once in the first four years after rehab. Depending on the substance, more than two-thirds of people will relapse after completing an inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment Program. Some even relapse multiple times before ridding themselves of their addiction for good. Relapse rates among...

It's well known that addiction affects everyone, not just the person with the problem. Spouses, partners, children, parents, friends, and colleagues also suffer from the emotional and financial fallout of substance use disorder. If you have someone in your life battling an active addiction, here are a few valuable tips that’ll help you get them...

"Unawareness of a mental illness is a symptom brought on by the disease. It is not a choice that an ill person makes." Dr Xavier Amador, an internationally renowned clinical psychologist and leader in his field, made this statement in his book “I’m not sick. I don’t need help”. If someone you love lives with...

Addictive behaviours don’t get as much attention as alcohol and drug addiction but they can cause just as much damage. Behavioural addiction covers everything from gambling, sex and shopping addiction to Internet, gaming, self-harm and plastic surgery addiction. What is Behavioural addiction? Behaviour addiction refers to non-substance addictions. They include a range of activities that...

Common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD are linked to sleep deprivation. Insomnia or poor quality sleep also increases the risk of drug and alcohol use which can lead to dependency and ultimately addiction. We look at the connection between sleep and substance abuse disorders and provide insight into how important it is...

For many, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the fact that drug addiction is classified as a mental illness. Many non-addicts view it as something that the person has only “himself or herself to blame”. Addicts do indeed blame themselves, their family, their work or their social circumstances. Overcoming shame and guilt is part...

Drug and alcohol addiction does not discriminate based on social status, race, gender or education. Addiction can happen to everyone; even successful lawyers, chefs, doctors, pilots and professional athletes. It has everything to do with genetics and environment factors and little to do with whether you are somehow “better or worse off” than others. Substance...

Every year, the number of college students misusing “study drugs” is increasing. In fact, prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States after alcohol and marijuana. So called study drugs are prescription stimulants that were approved by the FDA to treat conditions such as ADD, ADHD and narcolepsy; yet widespread...